"Somerset County Historical Quarterly" A Van Doren Honeyman Vol VIII, 1919 Somerset Innholders, 1778-1799 Lake, Susannah, 1778, 1779. Somerset County Marriages, 1795–1879 Williamson, Koert and Margaret Lake, Aug. 31, 1817 (Labagh). Robins, Shaffer H. and Cornelia Ann Van Doren, Nov. 6, 1865 (Messler). Robbins, Albert C. and Sarah M. Opie, Nov. 5, 1851 (Gardner). Robbins, Charles H. and Catharine M. Van Cleef, Oct. 4, 1863 (Gardner). Robbins, Samuel and Rebecca Sutphin, Dec. 22, 1825 (Ludlow). Robbins, Samuel B. and Abigail Van Liew, Nov. 23, 1842 (Ludlow) Scully, Michael W. and Mary F. Robbins, Nov. 3, 1864 (Walton). Vanderveer, Samuel and Sarah E. Robbins (Col’d), Dec. 26, 1872 (Mesick). Whitenack, Simon and Betsey Garrison, May 16, 1835 (Rodgers). CHILDREN OF CORNELIUS VAN LIEw (5) AND ANN SUYDAM : 18. ABIGAIL, b. May 18, 1817; m., Nov. 23, 1842, Samuel B. Rob- bins (this being his second marriage), who was b. Mar. 17, 1801, and d. Sep. 12, 1851. They were married at 10 o'clock Wednesday morning, by Rev. Gabriel Ludlow. Mr. Robbins died of palsy. John Robbins, a son by his first marriage, d. Dec. 24, 1850, aged 22 years. Children: (1) Cornelius Van Liew Robbins, b. Oct. 1, 1843. (2) Lemuel Halsey Rob- bins, b. Jan. 25, 1846. (3) Anna Elizabeth Robbins, b. Aug. 10, 1851; d. Aug. 25, 1851. Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Volume I, No. 1, Somerville, New Jersey, January, 1912. Edited by A. Van Doren Honeyman, Plainfield, N. J. Published by the Somerset County Historical Society, Somerville, N. J. Manumissions of Slaves in Somerset County, 1805-1825 – pp. 275-279 Slavery existed in New Jersey from the earliest settlement of the state, although probably few ere directly imported from Africa in early days. There were some Indian as well as many negro slaves. Somerset County had slaves within her borders as early as 1685 or 1690. In 1790 there were about 2,000 in Somerset and Hunterdon counties. No active legislation for the abolition of Slavery took place until Feb. 24, 1821, when it was provided that the children of all slaves in New Jersey, born subsequent to July 4, 1804, should have their freedom upon attaining to the age of twenty-five in males and twenty-one in females. This was self-operative. But in the meantime the people of Somerset, as well as in other parts of the State, becoming opposed to "human thraldom," began to emancipate—"manumit," as it was called—their slaves, and gradually did so. To do it legally they followed out the various legislative acts that were intended to guide them in so doing. For example, they signed and acknowledged an instrument, which usually ran in these or similar words (we quote from one made by Hon. Richard Stockton, a great lawyer (son of Richard, signer of the Declaration of Independence), whose residence was in Somerset County, near Princeton): "Know all men by these presents: That I, Richard Stockton, of the Township of Montgomery, County of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have manumitted and set free, and by these presents do hereby manumit the above named negro slave, Thomas, agreeabble to the act of the Legislature in such case made and provided. "Witness my hand and seal," etc. Preceding this instrument, but sometimes succeeding it, would be attached, and also recorded, the certificate of two overseers of the poor and two Justices of the Peace, certifying that the owner of the slave had brought before them the slave, "who, on view and examination, appears to be sound in mind, and not under any bodily incapacity of obtaining a support, and also is not under the age of twenty-one years nor above the age of forty years." The records of these manumissions are two well-preserved books in the Somerset County Clerk's office. The first record begins in Aug. 27, 1805, and the second ends on Jan. 8, 1862, these dates being of recordation. These books also include certifications by owners of slaves of the births of slave children in their households, from which many names and owners of slaves may be obtained, not to be found elsewhere. A list of such slave owners will appear in a later number of the Quarterly, after the completion of the publication of the manumissions. The residences stated below are townships of Somerset County, unless otherwise stated: p. 276 1815, Dec. 16. Aaron Lake, slave of Elisha Clarke, of Montgomery. Somerset County Losses in the Revolution – pp. 279-286 – Excerpts Toward the close of the Revolutionary War the Legislature of the State passed an act, dated Dec. 28, 1781, that registers of inventories should be made of damages to patriots in New Jersey by the incursions of the [p. 280] enemy and by the patriot armies. There were to be two distinct records: one of property damaged or destroyed by "the enemy and the adherents," and another of property damaged or destroyed by the "Continental Army, or by the militia of this or of the neighboring states." Appraisers were to be appointed who were to value the articles inventoried at the prices current in 1775, and no claims were to be allowed except from friends of the new Government. It was expected that the State, or possibly the Federal Government, would at some time reimburse the losers, but it was never done. The appraisers appointed to investigate and allow the claims of patriots who suffered in Somerset County during the War were Nathaniel Ayers, Abraham Staats and Abraham Van Doren. Ayers was a Judge of the Somerset Courts and lived in Bernards township; Staats was the well-known patriot of that name residing at Bound Brook, and Van Doren was probably the farmer and miller at Griggstown, who entertained Washington and his offiers after the Battle of Princeton. These appraisers entered upon their work Sept. 18, 1782, and finished it Dec. 2, of the same year. Each claimant made oath as to the details of his or her claim, and sometimes witnesses were sworn to give corroborative evidence. The full details, including the appended oaths, were sent to Trenton, where are now the bound records well preserved. Probably these records were transcribed from originals, but if so the originals are not now known to exist. The totals of the claims for Somerset County for losses by the "enemy" were £24,223, 19s, 3d. The number of claimants were 254, and these probably by no means represented the full number of those who suffered losses by the depredations of British and Hessians, which occured chiefly in 1775 and 1776, as many would not put in claims, and others must have brought fortward claims not allowed by the appraisers. (The total of the claims by the Continental troops, etc., was trifling. These will be given, fully, in the next number of the Quarterly.) A recapitulation of the list of damages "by the enemy," as now for the first time published, indicates how wide-spread south of the Raritan, especially around Millstone and Middlebush, and at Bound Brook, were the devastions of the British when they made their headquarters at Amboy or New Brunswick. At some future time the Quarterly will present details of some of the more important losses, and some interesting facts from the affidavits made, but at present we shall publish simply the names of the claimants and the amounts of their losses. These losses, we may add, included every description of property that an evilly-disposed enemy in war could destroy or steal—houses, crops, fences, household utensils, furniture, horses and cattle, men and women's clothing, etc. It. [p. 281] is a sad picture, and the whole details would need to be given to have the sufferings of the owners appreciated..." "...The followin is the complete list of the accepted claims for damages by "the enemy and their adherents," epitomized and arranged alphabetical by the editor of the Quarterly. The residences of the persons named are given where stated in the record, or, when otherwise certainly know, are given in brackets. Original spellings of names are retained. It may be noted that "Somerset Courthouse," "Hillsborough" and "Millstone" are use synonymously. Proved Somerset Losses from the British, 1776-'77 Garrison, Barnardus, of Middlebush £ 63. 4. 9. Gerritson, Phebe £ 10. 0. 0. Gerritson, Samuel (son of Rem) [Middlebush] £ 82. 3. 3. Neshanic Reformed Church Baptismal Records – Records, 1796-1878 (A-C) Brokaw, John B. and Magdalen Garretson: Cornelius Peterson; bap. Apr. 17, 1836. Somerset County Marriages – 1795-1879 - [Continued from Page 133] Marriages Recorded in Clerk's Officee—Letter B - pp. 292-304 [Names in parenthesis are officiating clergymen or Justices of the Peace] Brokaw, John and Magdalen Garretson – Sept. 24, 1834 (Fisher). Brokaw, Peter and Elizabeth Garretson – Nov. 18, 1856 (Mesick). Brokaw, Peter and Margaret Garretson – Sept. 20, 1860 (Mesick). Brokaw, Samuel and Mariah Garretson – Jan. 11, 1820 (Boggs). Children of John Dumont (9) and Annatje Hoagland - excerpts p. 117 "...21. Abraham Dumont, bapt May 13, 1739 (Raritan; now Somerville); d. 1798. Abraham died without issue. The lands received from his father were held by his widow, Neeltje (or Nauche) --------, and afterwards came to Dr. Peter Dumont, son of Abraham's brother, Peter and to John Garretson, son of his sister Femmetje. His will was dated Feb. 26, 1798; recorded Mar. 2, 1798..." "....22. Femmetje Dumont; m. a Garretson, and had a son John who inherited a portion of his uncle Abraham Dumont's (21) lands, as stated above..." "85. Peter A. Dumont, b. Sept. 29, 1809; d. Aug. 14, 1885; m., Jan. 8, 1834, Magdalen Garretson (dau. of Peter Garretson and Elizabeth Polhemus). He was a Justice of the Peace at Somerville in 1871 and later. (for children, see infra)..." p. 213 – Children of Peter A. Dumont (85) and Magdalen Garretson: 92. Martha Dumont, b. Oct. 15, 1834; d. Dec. 30, 1911; m. Abraham C. Whiteneck, of Somerville. 93. Arabella Dumont, b. Sept. 14, 1836; d. Apr. 18, 1874. 94. Sarah Elizabeth Dumont, b. Dec. 5, 1838; d. Aug. 14, 1880; m., Peter F. Wyckoff, of Newark, N. J., who is deceased. 95. Abraham P. Dumont, b. Oct. 18, 1841; d. Dec. 9, 1891. 96. John Garretson Dumont, of Somerville, b. Sept. 10, 1843; living m. (1) Sarah S. Stryker; (2) Cornelia Stryker. He is a well-known baggage master of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Somerset County Historical Quarterly, Volume 2, No. 1, Somerville, New Jersey, January, 1913. Edited by A. Van Doren Honeyman, Plainfield, N. J. Published by the Somerset County Historical Society, Somerville, N. J. The Old Bedminster Cemetery Inscriptions – pp. 131-138 by John A. Powelson, Pluckemin, N. J. [Continued from page 67] p. 131 Garretson, Ann Eliza, d. Mar. 19, 1813, aged 18 yrs., 5 mos., 22 dys. Garrison, Jane (wife of Peter), d. June 16, 1825, aged 26 yrs., 8 mos., 6 dys. p. 132 Kline, Dorrothy, Garritson (wife of John D.), d. Feb. 2, 1879, aged 82 yrs., 5 mos., 25 dys. Kline, Elanor S. Garretson, b. 1822; d. 1907. Lamington Burying-Ground Inscriptions by Rev. John T. Scott, D. D., Lamington, N. J. – pp. 310-316 Garrison, Samuel (son of Rem) d. June 11, 1801, in 63d yr. Somerset County Marriages – 1795-1879 – pp. 51-58 Recorded in Clerk's office—Letter C (In Part) Case, James and Betsey Leek, April 14, 1849 (Colyer). Cool, Daniel and Sarah Hubbard, Sept. 24, 1812 (Furguson). Journals of Andrew Johnston, 1743-1754 p. 188 "...Wednesday, 25th April, 1753..." "...Mr Byram likewise gave be a survey of the land proposed to be leased by Morris Williams and Josia Clawson; it includes the timber land John Oliphant was speakeing to me about the 28th of March last. I have concluded to leave it out of their lease and let it ly; likewise to except a small field and about 12 acres of timber land joyning to Abrm. Laurances farm without Coxes line. Oliphant is not to cut timber nor suffer any to be cut on the aforesid piece of timber land. The lease design'd for Theo. Case to be alter'd and given to John Royse, Jun. Consented to Buttler Case and John Case assigning their leases to Lour. Van Cleve and Jacob Brewer and I took their obligations to perform the conditions of s'd leases. The Lane Families of Somerset County and Vicinity by A. Van Doren Honeyman, Plainfield, N. J. p. 208 "...61. Mary, b. Dec. 30, 1759; d. Apr. 13 (or 30), 1838; m. (1) S. Van Kirk. (2) Philip Casee. One of her daughters was an "Eleanor Van Nest," prob. by her first husband. She was Philip Cases's second wife, and had by him no ch..."